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A More Grown-Up Look for a Minimalist Time

BEDAZZLED hair clips and ponytail elastics suddenly seem childish. Quite a few spring fashion shows, including those of Bill Blass, Erin Fetherston and Dries Van Noten, featured a more sophisticated slicked-back alternative. And no matter what your hair texture or length, you need only a good blow dryer, volumizer and holding spray to pull it off.

Sabrina Michals, the lead style educator at the downtown Bumble and Bumble salon, explained how to get the look, which is reminiscent of that sported by Helmut Lang, the popular 1990s designer, and works well with the minimalist looks of the moment.

A version of this article appears in print on April 7, 2011, on page E3 of the New York edition with the headline: A More Grown-Up Look For a Minimalist Time. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe